Selected quad for the lemma: england_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A59973
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A familiar discourse or dialogue concerning the Mine-Adventure
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Shiers, William.; Corporation of the Mine Adventurers of England. Second abstract of the state of the mines of Bwlehyr-Eskir-Hyr.
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1700
(1700)
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Wing S3458; ESTC R10992
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76,138
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191
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therefore all Companies that make Improvements at home and promote the vent of these Commodities abroad do most certainly deserve all Encouragement imaginable Merch. A late Learned Author in an Essay upon the probable Methods of making a People Gainers in the Ballance of Trade published about a year since expresses the very same Opinion I have the Book here if your Lordship please I 'le read the very words for I think they are not unworthy to be taken notice of Ld. A. Pray Sir do so Merch. In his Introduction these are the words viz. The Land is to yield the Product which Product is to yield the Wealth so that we should enquire how this product stands in every Particular but more especially in the principal constituent Parts of England's Strength namely Wool Corn and our Mines for 't is by the well ordering and wise disposition of these Branches of our Wealth that we are to be Gainers in the Ballance of Trade And in Page 94. after he has treated of the Land of England and the Product thereof of several kinds he goes on in these very words viz. Our Mines are the Product of the Earth and undoubtedly capable of great Improvements we ought to respect them as the Parents of our Trade and which made us known to the first Merchants of the World the Phoenicians We have Tinn Lead Copper Calamy Iron Coal Culm Allom Copperas with other sorts of Minerals and what is in this manner dug out of the Earth can't be a less Article then about Seven or Eight hundred thousand pounds per Annum in the whole Rental of the Kingdom They who work these Mines and deal in Minerals know best what Laws and Constitutions they want to make their Business more easie at home and to give their Commodities a free vent abroad but if they need any help from the Legislative Power most certainly they ought to have it since their Stock and Labour turn so much to the Common Good for whatever their Product yields in Foreign Markets is clear National Profit There are lately published some extraordinary Accounts of the Mines in Cardiganshire where 't is said there are Eight large Veins of Silver Lead and Copper Oar lying near together in one Mountain nigh a Navigable River and a good Port. * Mine-Adventure and Expedient p. 7. 'T is alledg'd that these Mines with a large Stock in a few years may be advanced to a clear Profit of One hundred and seventy thousand pounds per Annum This Computation does not seem at all extravagant to those who have look'd into the Accounts of what Mines produce in other Countries provided the Oar be good the Veins like to last and large ones seldom fail and provided there be no invincible Impediment from Nature to their working they have stood still several Years for want of a good Agreement among the Adventurers 'T is said Sir H. M. has put them in a way of being wrought but if his Expectient should not succeed and if new Differences should arise the Legislative Authority may very well and justly interpose even to compel the Partners to some Agreement whereby the Work may be carried on 〈…〉 justice due to the Publick at no time to suffer a few Stock-jobbing Citizens to stand in the way of any National Advantage the Fraud and Corruption of which sort of Men have hurt England in more than one particular If these Mines come but any thing near the value Mr. William Waller has put upon them and with reasons very probable they are a fit object of the States care and upon inspection into their true worth if private Purses can't raise a Stock sufficient to set them going it were better done upon some publick Fund to be repaid out of the Profits than to loose what is represented as so immense a Treasure But should it prove less 't is not to be neglected for Nations like private Men who will thrive must look into small things as well as great and for this we have the Examples of France and Holland whose Ministers examine into the minutest Matters where the Publick may possibly reap any Advantage and 't is a very commendable piece of Wisdom were it but for this single reason that to do so constantly begets a habit of Care and Diligence in things of higher importance Thus my Lord you see what this ingenious Gentleman says who hath made it his Business to enquire into Matters of this Nature he does not think the highest Valuation of these Mines extravagant provided the Oar be good the Veins like to last and there be no invincible Impediment from Nature to their working but it 's proved before that the Oar is good and that there is no reason to fear its lasting and that the Levels being carried home and thereby the Water carried off there can be no Impediment from Nature to their working And then he is so sensible of the great Advantages that may accrew thereby to the Nation that rather than so immense a Treasure should be lost he seems to think it reasonable that the Parliament should lend the Partners a Stock to carry it on to be repaid out of the Profits but since by the Aid of many new Adventurers they have at last with great difficulties raised a sufficient Stock themselves and are willing to run all the hazard of so great an Undertaking for the publick Good of the Kingdom as well as for their own particular and private Advantage it can never be doubted but that his most gracious Majesty and all our Noble Senators and Patriots of their Country will be ready to give this Undertaking all the Encouragement that it is capable of Ld. A. There is not the least doubt to be made of it for his Majesty is already very sensible of the great Advantages to the Publick by such Undertakings as may appear by several Patents granted by his Majesty for the Encouragement thereof in one of which a particular Friend of mine is concerned and I remember the beginning of it is in these words viz. WIlliam and Mary by the Grace of God King and Queen of England Scotland France and Ireland Defenders of the Faith c. Whereas we have been informed by the humble Petition of W. C. c. That our Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales do much abound in Mines especially of Lead great part whereof remain unwrought to the manifest loss of the Publick and that the reason why so great a part of the Wealth of our Dominions remains useless is partly because there is not sufficient diligence and application used in discovering of Mines and partly because the working of Mines being very chargeable and the Profit subject to great hazard many Owners of Land where the Mines are cannot or dare not themselves undertake the same And whereas they have most humbly besought us to enable them and divers others therein mentioned in a Corporate Capacity to digg and work such Mines as they